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A well-written post-interview Thank You Note should be a vital step in your job search routine. And here at Doostang we want to give you some tips on how to get the most out of this small gesture. Read on, you can thank us later.

Thank You Notes: A Little Gratitude Goes a Long Way.

You know that moment – the one where you’re walking out of the interview after that last firm handshake, closing “Thank you for your time”, and final flash of the charming smile over your shoulder. It’s that moment of release. You put your best foot forward, you rocked the tailored suit, you even shared a passion for fly-fishing with your interviewer. You conquered the final hurdle of the recruiting process: the interview. But have no illusions, Dear Job Seeker, it’s not time to throw off that game face just yet…

In fact, that very game face will make its next appearance on the page. That’s right, folks – the oft-overlooked Thank You Note. It sounds simple, but it’s key. So important, that we may as well view it as one of the many essentials of the job seeking checklist. Here’s why:

• Writing a quick Thank You demonstrates that you are gracious. Simply put: it’s polite. Apart from appealing to your interviewer’s sense of common decency, it shows that you value both the opportunity and their time.

• It serves as a great refresher for the discussion that took place. Consider it the “minutes” of the interview, so to speak. Your interviewer may have a dozen other people that they are speaking to, so use a Thank You Note to further set yourself apart.

• Sending a Thank You Note proves that you are still thinking about the job after the interview is over. Employers want to hire someone who has a genuine interest in the position, for this will likely carry over into the work itself.

So time to bust out the construction paper and Magic Markers, RIGHT? (Need I say WRONG?) A few guidelines for producing the polished, professional Thank You Note:

1. Hurry

Avoid a lengthy time lag between the friendly “Good bye” and the gracious “Hello”. Send an email to your interviewer shortly after you get home. Your gesture should arrive the day of your meeting; the day after, at most. To this end, an email is best, but a handwritten note to further follow up is nice too – though not entirely necessary.

2. Resell Yourself

Use the Thank You Note as a space to resell yourself. Remind the interviewer why you’re a great match for the job. Providing a couple reasons why you’re the ideal candidate will keep you on the employer’s mind and help you to better close the deal.

3. Personalize, But Stay Professional

Tailor the note to multiple interviewers if you spoke to more than one person. One aim of the Thank You Note is to appear sincere, and if you rattle off the same generic “thanks” to each individual, the result may achieve just the opposite effect. That said, remember to keep the tone professional. You may be tempted to discuss all the wonderful things you had in common with the interviewer, or to revisit the joke that originally broke the ice, but the fact remains that procuring a job is serious business. Keep it that way. You’ll have plenty of time to rendezvous around the water cooler later.

4. Don’t Ramble

Keep it brief. No one has time to pore over your Thank You novella. A clear, succinct message is guaranteed to deliver a more lasting impression.

5. Check Your Grammar

Finally, proofread! Just as no one is going to take you seriously in an interview if your fly is unzipped, so too will they cringe at poor grammar and spelling errors. If it takes sending a copy of your Thank You to your mother to revise before you forward it on to your employer, DO IT. Mom probably deserved the thanks anyway.

Take home point: the Thank You Note is a given of today’s job search process. It’s courteous and it’s proven. As with all situations in life, my friends, Mind Your Manners!

So after you apply to your dream job on Doostang and nail that interview, don’t forget to send a thank you note and you should have no issues getting hired. Good luck!

Thank you for reading,

Team Doostang